Xcel Energy warns of credit card scam

Xcel Energy is warning of a credit card scam reported by customers in Texas and New Mexico.

The company has received numerous reports of customers contacted by phone by callers claiming to represent Xcel and telling them their electric service is going to be disconnected, according to a news release. The caller then tells the customer to buy a Green Dot prepaid Visa card to make their power payment.

Customers who follow the instructions by calling a phone number after purchasing the VISA card have found the entire cash value of the card is removed.

The scam seems to target Hispanic customers, according to the news release.

“I haven’t heard of that one, but it’s just another ploy to get people to panic and react,” Amarillo Police Cpl. Jerry Neufeld said.

“They happen all the time. We’ve had people call impersonating banks or credit unions saying, ‘This is Amarillo National Bank — or Happy State Bank — and your debit card is no longer valid. Call this number and we’ll reset it.’”

Xcel warns customers to call 1-800-895-4999 to verify any communications from the company or if they need help paying their bill. The company also does not recommend a specific type of payment.

For more information on protecting personal information and about phone and email scams, go to www.xcelenergy .com.

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James Madison, "Father of the Constitution" and chief author (1794): ""I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

Interesting to note that when one tries to pay one's Xcel Energy bill with a credit card, or a debit card, they don't accept them, at least here in Texas. One has to provide one's checking account number or savings account number.

Back in Feb. I got hit up for $147 out of my checking account claiming to be Exel energy. I call Excel and they said they didn't withdraw any money from my account. I contacted Amarillo National Bank which sent me an invoice of my account and sure enough the customer Id number did not match. Thank God ANB didn't have a problem putting the $147 back into my account and Excel energy was made full aware of the incident and I stopped using Excel's automated system.